Borax vs. Washing Soda: What Actually Works Best
Somewhere in your grandmother’s laundry room was probably a box of borax with a little mule team on the front. Mine too. What she never explained is whether it actually works differently than washing soda, or if the two are just interchangeable powders in different boxes. Turns out, they’re not. Here’s what each one actually does, and which to reach for.
Somewhere in your grandmother’s laundry room, there was probably a box of borax with the little mule team on the front. Mine too. What she never told me is whether it actually does anything different than washing soda, or if the two are just interchangeable powders in different boxes.
Turns out, they’re not interchangeable. Close cousins, sure. Same job, different specialties. Let’s sort out which one belongs in your wash.
What is borax?
Borax is a mineral. Sodium borate, if you want to get technical, pulled right out of the ground and turned into that familiar white powder. Twenty Mule Team is the brand you’ve probably seen on the shelf since forever, but it’s not the only one out there.
I keep a box of it under my laundry sink year-round. It’s an old-fashioned booster, and it still earns its spot.
Borax softens your wash water, which lets your detergent actually do its job instead of fighting hard-water minerals. It’s also a solid odor eliminator and a genuine whitener, which is where it really outperforms washing soda.
What is washing soda?
Washing soda goes by soda ash or sodium carbonate, and Arm & Hammer’s Super Washing Soda is the name-brand version you’ll find at most grocery stores. It’s a heavier hitter than borax when it comes to grease and ground-in stains.
Like borax, it softens water. But its real talent is breaking down oil and grime, which makes it the one I reach for after a barbecue disaster or a kid comes home from a bike chain repair gone wrong.
Borax vs. washing soda: the real difference
Here’s the short version, since I know you didn’t come here for a chemistry lecture:
Borax wins on odor control and whitening. Washing soda wins on grease and heavy stains. Both soften water, and both are considered safe for the environment when you use them as directed.
If your laundry problem is smell or dinginess, grab the borax. If it’s grease, motor oil, or your teenager’s mystery stains, washing soda is your better bet.
What about baking soda?
I get this question constantly, so let’s clear it up: baking soda is not the same thing as washing soda, even though the names practically beg you to confuse them.
Baking soda is milder, gentler on fabric, and safe enough to eat (please don’t). Washing soda has a much higher pH, which is exactly why it cuts grease so well and why it’s not something you’d want in your baking. Think of baking soda as washing soda’s mellow little sibling. Handy in its own right, but not a swap-in replacement when a recipe or a stain calls for the stronger stuff.
How to use borax in laundry
Toss in half a cup along with your regular detergent. For serious stains, dissolve it in hot water first before adding it to the machine. It works harder that way.
How to use washing soda in laundry
Same half-cup rule with your detergent. For anything greasy or heavily soiled, pre-soak in a washing soda and water solution before it ever hits the wash cycle. That pre-soak step makes a bigger difference than people expect.
A word on pets and safety
Both products are generally safe for laundry use, but they’re still cleaning chemicals, not toys. Keep them away from kids and pets, don’t breathe in the powder, and follow the package directions. If you’ve got a cat who treats every open box as an invitation, keep the lid on.
What about septic systems?
Good news on this one: both borax and washing soda are septic-safe. One less thing to worry about.
Quick answers to what everyone’s asking
Is borax the same as washing soda?
No. Same laundry-boosting family, different minerals and different strengths.
Can I use borax and washing soda together?
You can. I've done it on especially rough loads, half a cup of each, when I want odor control and grease-cutting power in the same cycle.
Is OxiClean the same as washing soda?
No, OxiClean is an oxygen-based bleach alternative, a different animal entirely. Washing soda handles grease and pH; OxiClean handles brightening and stain lifting through oxygenation.
What's a good substitute for washing soda?
In a pinch, baking soda can stand in for mild jobs, though it won't cut grease the same way. For a true substitute, there isn't a great one. That's the whole reason washing soda exists.
Why don't more people use washing soda anymore?
Mostly because liquid detergents have gotten better at handling everyday loads on their own, so the booster step feels optional. It's not obsolete. It's just been forgotten by people who've never had a truly greasy load to deal with.
So which one wins?
Depends on what you’re fighting. I keep both under my sink, because laundry problems don’t come in just one flavor. Borax for smell and whiteness, washing soda for grease and grime. Together, they’ll outperform whatever fancy booster is charging you triple for the same two minerals.
Resources
Both are easy to find at grocery stores, supermarkets, and discount retailers, or online if you’d rather not make the trip. Twenty Mule Team is the classic borax brand; Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda is the one to look for on the washing soda side. Generic versions work just as well if you’d rather save a few cents.
Question: Team borax, team washing soda, or do you keep both under the sink like I do? Share your pick in the comments below.
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Which one or both in the same washer would work for urine smell?
Not from a cat or dog.
Borax. And for a challenging situation I would soak that item(s) in a bucket of very hot water in which I have desolved 1/2 cup borax. Soak overnight then launder as usual. If that odor has been laundered and dryed in the dryer it may take a repeat or two to fully eradicate the odor.
So, if I read this correctly, Borax is for whites only and Washing soda is safe for colors?
I use borax in every loadโwhites, colors, everything. The only time I wouldn’t add borax is when I know something is not colorfast. Washing soda does not brighten/whiten as well as borax.
I love using the Borax and the Lestoil I have saved lots of my clothes from stains. And use the Lestoil for lots of other household jobs. I have continued to pass these two cleaners on to others as needed to help them like you have helped me.
How would you add Borax to a front-loading machine, which has a very small space to add detergent? It’s very hard to figure out how to add vinegar, borax, or other items in our apartment laundry room washers!
I have a front loader. I dump it in on top of the clothes and shut the door
Be aware of buying another brand. I bought Milliard Borax Powder Detergent Booster. I always sprinkle a little in my toilet before I scrub. I sprinkled this off brand, and it hardened up like cement. Upon reading the back of the bag, the ingredients say: SODIUM TETRABORATE PENTAHYDRATE.
I can’t imagine what would have happened to my washer if I added a 1/2 cup like I do of Arm and Hammer. And how can it be labeled as Borax Powder if it is not sodium borate! Now I am wondering what this product might be good for, or just toss it so I don’t damage anything else!
I believe the back of the bag specifcially recommends it to clean your bathroom and toilet. This is very curious!
Thank you for your helpful info! Question: How does Oxyclean fit into all of this? Have you tried it?
Three Generic Cleaners Same as Brand Names but Cheaper
ok, i’m confused. one soda is listed as 18/oz and the other at 41/load. how many ounces in a load? also, i know they are combined in your detergent, which i’ve used for years, but can you use 1/4 cup each in one load?
many thanks
Listing number of loads is misleading as washer sizes vary, etc. Compare ozs. to ozs.
Ok, so after looking on the amazon website for the size of box listed, it appears this box is 65 ounces which works out to $0.186 / oz. Was the /load stated meant to be / oz.?
You would have to read the label to discover what that manufacturer considers a load.
Hi,
I know this will sound like a silly question but if you dissolve the Borax in water before adding it to the washer, how do you add it to a washer that opens on the side? Do you add the borax and water into the washing machine where the liquid detergents goes?
thanks,
Jill
Hi Mary, your homemade laundry detergent uses both of these, plus fels naptha/zote. So are both of these ‘boosting’ the fels naptha/zote? thank you!
Thank you for all the good hints. I especially liked hearing about borax and washing soda.